Opposition want Chaponda out of front bench in Malawi Parliament

As parliament will be meeting for the mid-year budget review, some opposition MPs want suspended Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda, from sitting in the front benches in parliament and taking up his formal role as Leader of the House.

Opposition wants Chaponda out of front bench

Chaponda is suspended by High Court from executing his duties as minister until a Commission of Inquiry into the Zambia maize saga, led by Retired Chief Justice Anastazia Msosa, is expected to present a final report and findings to President Peter Mutharika on February 9 2017.

Lazarus Chakwera, who is leader of the opposition in parliament and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, held a parliamentary caucus at the Golden Peacock hotel to strategise on the move.

“Chaponda is suspended as ministers and then he should not be leader of the House. Therefore should not sit on the front benches,” said an opposition lawmaker who attended the caucus.

However, speaking to Nyasa Times, former Speaker of Parliament Sam Mpasu, has said that the court action which suspended the minister cannot affect his position as Leader of the House.

“He is not breaking any law if he remains leader of the house”, said Mpasu last week.

These remarks were also echoed by spokesperson for parliament Leonard Mengezi who said the House will recognise Chaponda as Leader of the House as his position is political and given to a person by the ruling party.

Chaponda has constantly denied any wrongdoing in the maize scandal, saying his involvement in the maize procurement was minimal.

It is not true what Sam Mpasu has said that being suspended as a Ministers cannot affect Chaponda’s Leader of the House position. From my understanding, the leader of the house position is only given to a full Cabinet Minister and since Chaponda has been suspended, it means he is no longer a minister and as such he can neither be the leader of the house nor sit in the front bench which is for Ministers on the government side!

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2 years ago

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falliot

chakwera ndi more kale

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2 years ago

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falliot

voting pattern has nothing to do with chaponda or chakwera being president of Malawi,, Malawi set for Malawians is thàt government is not helping them to reduce poverty,,,, if god is to a next leader in 2024, believe me these thieves in the name of chaponda will not take the mantle of power. What has changed in Malawi since 1993 ? poverty at its peak now,So you from south should not bost about hanging to power just becoz of population in south, Rather look at the mess the leadership is doing to the country, don’t think southerners are happy with… Read more »

Opposition pretty well know that if the voting pattern for Malawi is something to go by (as it has been happening before) then Chaponda shall be Malawi’s President come 2024. This is why opposition members of parliament are trying their level best to dent his image so that he is nobody. What they are forgetting is that they are indirectly making him more popular than before. This is the same way Muluzi got popularity in 1993 during Kamuzu era. So, wait and see what happens in 2024. By the way, he is from the South and you can imagine. Abale… Read more »

What is front bench after all. Being in opposition bench is more painful than to be off the filling front bench
Chambers and his guys will remain on the opposition bench until 2045 when many of us will be too old or dead.
You are playing with chaponda wait until February 9.you will dance chopa with him not gule wankulu